So, what is intertexuality? For this post we’ll be using this article to help explain. It is the way that different texts refer to other written works to better explain their point but, more simply put its a term to define to explain a certain text taking other texts and claiming it under their own work, often times changing its meaning. Upon first reading, I thought the word was intersexuality, which is a concept I’m very familiar with, as I spent a lot of my time last semester in a 3-hour-long women and gender studies class. I always thought of articles as independent stories, aside from citations, but in reality they interact with each other in some way, sometimes intentionally or unintentionally. Most texts derive ideas from other texts and challenge, agree with, or build on those claims.
Examples of intertextuality in the wild:
It’s easy to notice intertextuality primarily in the media being fed to us. Movies, new TV series, books, and relatable Instagram memes often reference other popular entertainment. For example, the new hit series “Off Campus” climbed up the charts and gained a lot of attention on tik tok and instagram, being based off the off campus book series by Elle Kennedy. However, the way someone may interpret the series is different. I myself watched it as a fun new series and found out afterwards that it was actually based on books (which I read afterwards). However, someone who read the series would probably enjoy it as their favorite characters came from the pages to the screen.
I see intertextuality as something so much more important than just remakes of book series or turning cartoon movies into live action. But it shows the way that communication never occurs in isolation. Everyone who creates written work takes inspiration from other pieces of work they’ve read or heard of, which influences their “writing voice.” In terms of audience comprehension, we use others words that we’ve read or experienced to interpret meanings.
All in all, intersexuality has completely changed the way I digest media. Instead of looking at posts, movies, TV series, and other entertainment pieces as individual, separate pieces, I think of the way that other texts may connect to what I’m reading and how that may affect the meaning.
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